


Supernatural Surprise

by Phisobi



Category: Original Work, Wradsworld
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, First Meetings, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Original Character(s), Vampire AU, Vampires, adam is bi and weird and i love him, and a gunshot wound, ani is a big lesbian and i love her, art may or may not be incoming in the near future, kari is a sweet tough child p much, probably tho, shes like 17, uhh content warning for blood obviously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26030365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phisobi/pseuds/Phisobi
Summary: Kari's life as a young vampire hasn't been an easy one. For the past three years her and her brother have been on the run from the people that want them dead. But what happens when her brother disappears one day, and she's left to fend for herself?Adam's city life is as boring as ever. With each passing day he wished for something exciting to happen, but one chance encounter might hold far more than he could have bargained for.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 5





	1. A Chance Enounter

**Author's Note:**

> hi have more garbage writing that i have no idea what im doing with :^) 
> 
> i just like vampires and first meetings okay lol. also the title may change later but i had no idea what to put skdkfjsjfgl

Kari’s chest rose and fell, heavy breaths coming out in clouded mists as she ran through the dark streets. Her black unzipped hoodie trailed behind her, soaked from the rain. Brown hair whipped in front of her eyes, but she pushed on. It wasn't the first time she was on the run, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. Frantically she looked around, mind racing to find any possible hiding place without running into any more hunters or citizens that would rat her out.

Her feet carried her faster than any human could run. It helped her escape many times before, but she was running out of streets and the killers were right behind. Pain coursed through her leg where one had barely missed a shot. The silver bullet that grazed her leg stung like mad and inwardly Kari hoped she wouldn't have to pull anything out. Still, the limp it left her with was hindering, and blood was draining out by the second. She swallowed, knowing that if she was trapped she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Taking a deep breath, Kari rounded a sharp corner, and then another into an alleyway. It was dark without the streetlights, but she could see just fine. Her eyes scanned the buildings on either side of her, hating their impenetrable walls that she feared would be the last thing she'd ever see. She just wanted to slip out of sight.

But something caught her attention, something near the end of the street. An open window at ground height. Unable to take the risk of a second chance, Kari acted without thinking and vaulted herself through it, launching across the room and hitting the floor with a thud. Barely giving herself time to adjust, she backed up against the wall she came through and held her breath, silently praying that whoever she ran into down here would be easier to deal with.   
  
Quickly that hope faded as a light click filled the room, and Kari turned her head to face down the barrel of a loaded pistol six feet away. Her eyes widened with fear and she slowly raised her hand, bringing a shaking finger to her lips and looking up towards the window. Neither of them moved as Kari listened to the heavy footsteps outside pass by and grow faint. Once she was sure they were gone she brought her attention back to the holder of the gun, who seemed just as startled.

Kari was the first to break the silence, her voice hoarse and low. "Please don't shoot," She practically begged, tears pushing at the corners of her eyes from exhaustion.

"Give me your name and one good reason not to." The stranger replied coldly, but Kari could hear the fear in his voice. The glow of her eyes was strong. It always puts humans on edge, whether they knew it was real or not. She paused for a second to try to play her cards right.

"Kari," the vampire grumbled. "And because one fucking bullet wound is enough for me right now." She clutched her leg in pain, wanting nothing more than to get out of here and be alone, away from prying eyes and stupid humans with guns.

Silence filled the air as the stranger looked down to her injury, just now noticing that she was hurt. "...Why were you shot?" He asked hesitantly, slowly lowering the gun. She was right, one was enough.

Kari stiffened, pondering her answer as she tore a part of her pant leg to use as a bandage to stop the bleeding. It didn't really work.

"Let's just say not a lot of people like me right now. But it doesn't matter, I didn't mean to barge in so I'll leave." 

With great effort she moved to stand up, glad that the other wasn't making a move to stop her. Unfortunately she made about two shaky steps before buckling from the pain, falling straight to her hands and knees. Kari groaned in frustration.

"Okay," the other sighed, putting the safety back on the gun and setting it down on the bed he just hopped out of. After the lamp flicked on and he saw a glimpse of the blood, he grimaced. He was skeptical, but believe it or not weirder scenarios have happened to him.

"That doesn't sound like the whole truth, but I'm not just going to let you bleed on everything I own on the way out. If you were shot, that cloth isn't going to do shit. Let me get my medkit.."

Kari opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't find anything to say. The blood was soaking straight through her makeshift bandage, and the pool under her leg grew bigger by the moment. It was undeniable that she needed the help, but she hesitated. She couldn't risk him finding out and panicking, but in her current state it was almost impossible to hide her supernatural features. If he hadn't noticed already.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." She dismissed the offer, but they both knew she was wrong. She had no substantial medical knowledge, let alone the equipment. Even if she did leave it untreated and fled the house, she had nowhere safe to turn to. And on nights like these, a limping, starving vampire isn't hard to finish off.

"Uh-Huh." He deadpanned, ignoring her and searching for a clean towel. He knew that she was hiding something, but it wasn't his business to pry into. Some deep internal instinct has always driven him to help others, no matter how strange they are. He wasn't going to turn away someone in a time of need, especially after they just flung themselves into his bedroom in the middle of the night. For the first time since moving to the city his paramedic training could finally be of service, and he was happy to put it to good use.

"Here, put this under your leg, I'll be right back." He tossed a dark towel at Kari as he passed by, heading to grab his medical kit in the bathroom.

Kari tensed as he grew closer, ready for anything he might pull, even though he was unarmed. She didn't fully trust him, and definitely didn't understand his motive to help; no one had causeless mercy towards her anymore, most often not human males. Still she silently obeyed, propping herself up against the wall and putting the towel underneath. As much as she hated being down here, she figured it was safer than outside as long as she kept her guard up.

A voice tore her out of her thoughts, bringing her attention back to the door as her host reentered with a bright red bag full of medical supplies.

"Y'know, you're lucky I used to want to be a paramedic," he commented, flipping on the main light. His expression soured when he saw how bad the wound was leaking through. "I would hate to see someone try to deal with this without proper help. The name's Adam, by the way."

Kari looked away as he spoke, deliberately not making eye contact. She was tense, being this hungry and close to a human, and all she wanted to do was pounce. The animal blood she's been drinking was nothing compared to something fresh, and she clenched her fists as he crouched beside her. She wouldn't give in to instinct.

Adam moved quickly as he set up his equipment, noticing her uneasiness. Her silence and wary disposition were understandable, so he didn't take it to heart. He was cautious of her space as he reached for her leg, waiting for permission before getting to work.

Kari reluctantly accepted. 


	2. Wild Truth

In Adam's books, it was definitely an odd looking wound, with the way her skin was reacting. The nerves looked seared all around where the bullet touched, like it curled away from the metal. Her blood was also a rich, dark colour, and he hadn't seen anything like it before. But despite things feeling off he worked as efficiently as he could, apologizing every time Kari winced. 

The vampire said nothing as he worked, but she did steal glances. It was true that Adam knew what he was doing, and he was working diligently considering the circumstances. She grimaced as she saw the gaping hole in her leg left from the bullet, trying not to think about just how much flesh was missing. At one point Adam looked up from her leg and their eyes locked, but Kari quickly looked away. 

Adam was intrigued to say the least. He didn't know what to make of her inhuman features, which he could see much clearer up close; Especially that golden, piercing gaze. Her eyes seemed to glow, and it was one of the first things he noticed when she crash landed onto his floor. His brain had played it off as a trick of the light, but questionable things were starting to pile up, and his suspicions rose. Somehow he doubted some elaborate cosplayer could wind up in a situation like this, but the only other answer in his head was equally as non-plausible. He'd heard talk of supernatural myths being real, like vampires and werewolves and demons, but he just figured that they were rumours at best, and the city was extremely superstitious at worst. No wonder rent here was so cheap.

He said nothing for the first few minutes, but eventually the silence became too much. There had to be noise, even if it was just awkward smalltalk.

"So, Kari... you're not from around here, are you?" Adam asked carefully, wanting to see how much information he could get from her as sneakily as possible. 

Kari stiffened, her attention turning back towards the human by her feet. Her heartbeat quickened, afraid of how much he might have already caught on to. Humans generally weren't supposed to know of her kind's existence, but some of them were quite perceptive and could see past the illusion. Still, she couldn't just flatout admit the truth. Especially not with a bounty being hunted on her head.

"Not this part, no." She quickly lied, looking away. "I live across the city." It wasn't her best cover up, but she didn't care. She could always tell him to get off her back if he pushed the matter.

But Adam just nodded, not really believing her anyways. He doubted that she'd be out at this hour in this neighborhood with a gunshot wound if she lived that far away. Besides, her reaction to the question and all her side-eyeing was answer enough for him. 

"Well that seems a little far," he commented lightly, continuing to work back on her leg. The bleeding had stopped, and it was time to be cleaned. He almost couldn't believe what he was offering, but his mouth ran before he could think it through. "If you leave tonight, do you have somewhere safe to stay?" 

At that Kari froze. She couldn't tell if he believed her lies or not, it was difficult to read his angle. Still, she could only think of the worst. What if he was just buying more time to turn her in? What if he was secretly planning to kill her in her sleep? She swallowed the lump in her throat, immediately gaining a defensive stance. 

"I'll be fine," she lied again, tone a bit sharper. "Why do you care?" 

Adam shrugged, focusing on carefully stitching together the wound. "Maybe I just like helping people when I can. Or maybe I'm returning the favor of when I used to live on the streets and relied on strangers' hospitality to keep me alive. We all have our reasons, I guess." 

Kari said nothing in response, shocked by Adam being so nonchalantly truthful. His perceptiveness reached beyond her appearance, almost like he knew the life she lived without knowing anything about her. Granted it was kind of obvious given her current state of dirtiness and skittishness, but when she looked over at him once more she saw him in a bit of a new light. If he even slightly knew the struggles, then the fears of her being reported slowly ebbed to the back of her mind. 

She opened her mouth to say something, yet hesitated. Trust didn't come easy to her, but she was running out of time and had to consider her options. On one hand she should just leave, get out of his hair like she said she would after basically breaking and entering. On the other hand if she stayed, she had a warm place to sleep for the night away from the prying eyes of hunters. Something she hasn't had in a long time. Leaving would lead to less awkward conversations and anxiety over her next meal, but was it a worth trade off for possibly dying in the streets? 

"There." Adam leaned back with a sigh, "All done."

Kari was so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed he finished the stitches and moved onto the gauze wrap, but before she knew it she was all bandaged up properly. Looking at it now, she almost laughed at how sad her pantleg bandage looked earlier. She really was bad at accepting help, but maybe landing in here was a sign that she should take some from someone willing to give it.

She spent a moment marveling at his work before uttering a small 'thank you.' In reality she was more appreciative than what she showed, but she didn't know how to accept such acts of kindness without feeling bad or earning them first. 

Thankfully to Adam, the small gratitude was more than enough. He beamed back at her with a wide smile as he packed up his tools and equipment.

"It's alright. I couldn't just let you walk out of here with _that._ " Adam pointed to her blood-soaked makeshift bandage, trying not to think about what it would be like changing that the next day. He had to get out of some pretty rough scrapes in his time, but luckily nothing like this. It probably hurt like hell.

Kari huffed. "Well it's not like I was expecting your help after just barging in."

Being tired, Adam did a halfass job at putting the medical equipment away, moreso just pushing everything aside and disposing of anything bloodstained. When he stood up he looked down at her and her sunken complexion, and the chaos that his room has endured since she entered.

"Well it really looks like you could use it. And I'm up now so do you want some water or something? Food..? A place to hide from the cops for a few hours?" 

"I…" Kari stammered as she put together her thoughts, confused. "All of the above, I guess, but why are you being so nice? You don't even know who you're dealing with. Most people just turn me away.." 

Adam didn't know why he was being so hospitable either. The thought of Kari limping alone in the streets at night just didn't sit well, but then again he knew that she was different. She wasn't just some average run of the mill street-living criminal, there was something more to her that he didn't want to acknowledge. Human ears don't point like that, and there's a hunger in her eyes that Adam could almost feel. Despite her small size she probably had the strength to hold herself in a battle, and he wasn't keen on getting on her bad side.

"Well, I'm not like most people, that's for sure." Adam laughed. "And as long as you're not stealing my shit or trying to kill me I see no harm in letting you lay low here for a few hours, God knows I could have used that opportunity on the run once or twice before."

He paused, noticing Kari's hesitance. "... or the offer still stands to leave if you want, but not trying to sound like a dick, you look pretty rough."

Kari scoffed, dropping her head. "Yeah, 'rough's one way to put it." She glanced up at Adam, unsure whether or not he was a complete idiot, or wise beyond his years.

"Just fucking starving to death and on my third sleepless night." The words fell out before she could stop herself. She didn't need his pity, but she hadn't actually _complained_ to anyone in a while. Her brother never tolerated it.

Adam's eyes didn't leave Kari, wincing as she spoke. It was a sad image.

"..It's not a hunger I can help with, is it…?" He asked after a long moment of silence, unsure how to string his words.

He had to know if his suspicions were true, but didnt know how to ask. His friend had told him to 'watch out for the supernatural in the city', but Adam just took it all for high ramblings. He didn't think it would actually be real. 

"....No." Kari answered after another tense moment of silence, voice quiet. Her head hung low. "You know why, don't you..?" 

"Well, I had suspicions, but I didn't know how to ask so uh… truce? I try to keep this place a pretty neutral territory, human or not." Adam brought a hand up and scratched the back of his neck. Neither of them wanted to say the word. He couldn't believe that he had an actual _vampire_ in his room, and he didn't really know how to feel. Skeptical was a good word for it, as he was always a 'believe it when I see it' kind of guy, but up close he couldn't deny her inhuman qualities.

"I wouldn't kill you!" Kari quickly reassured, "Not after all your help. But do you _know_ how dangerous I am to be around right now?" 

She wasn't going to tell him about the bounty on her head, but starving vampires alone were known for slaughtering whole families in frenzied hunger. It was rare and there were consequences for it, but she figured that the humans' government had a special department for covering up messes caused by supernatural likes to quell mass public fear. It wasn't like she was going to attack him, but she just wondered how humans could be so naive.

Adam's heart pumped loud in his chest at her question, the reality of the situation finally setting in.

"Honestly? I don't.." he answered timidly. Looking back at Kari, his stomach turned into knots. She was basically a reflection of a younger him a few years ago, so awkward and dirty and riddled with so much pain. Something deep within him wanted to help her be better, and maybe learn some things about her in the process, even if it meant taking risks. 

"But I know how bad starving sucks." He continued, his tone grim. "It's a pretty universal thing. It can make someone desperate." He paused, noticing Kari look away even harder, her grip on her arms tightening. She said nothing.

"..What do you normally eat?" The question broke the heavy silence that hung around the air. 

It caught Kari off guard, but after a few moments she answered. Adam already knew more than he was letting on, so there was no use in hiding it from him. 

"Criminals," She sighed, her voice quiet. "Repeat sex offenders, hardcore drug dealers, murderers. Well, I _used to_ . Can't hunt fuck all anymore so It's just been animal blood lately but.. I ran out and it _isn't enough_.." 

Her voice cracked at the end, as she thought about her new leg injury and how much of an easier target she was going to be. She basically had a big red 'kill me' sign above her head. 

Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. " _I'm fucked_."


	3. Questionable Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam can't help his curiosity. 
> 
> Kari can't believe his stupidity.

Adam said nothing but he nodded, moving his hand from his neck to his chin. He hadn't expected Kari to be so noble of a vampire, even when she looks like she's about to collapse. He almost saw her as the good person for not resorting to innocent civilians, but she was still killing people, which was an immediate concern. 

She needed fresh blood, and Adam wanted live evidence of this new discovery. But he also didn't want to die for it.

"...Can you eat without killing the person? Only take a little bit?" The questions slipped out, more out of curiosity than anything. His only knowledge of vampires came mostly from movies, which he assumed to be horribly inaccurate.

When she heard what Adam said, Kari looked up at him with a baffled expression. Was he insinuating what she thought he was? His tone suggested that he had more on his mind than he let on, and Kari couldn't believe he was seriously contemplating it. She'd never had a willing victim before, so she never had to pay attention to how much she took.

"I guess… but I've never tried." she answered feeling a little guilty, and very confused. "You can't seriously be thinking what I think you are.." 

Adam swallowed. This was probably his dumbest idea to date, but he's always been one with an insatiable curiosity with a knack for getting him into trouble.

"..And if I am?" 

Kari stopped in her tracks, not expecting him to be serious. Every human she's met after she was turned either tried to kill her or sell her out in some way, not _help_ her. They all saw her as some bloodthirsty monster, no matter how hard she tried to control it, but Adam looked at her differently. Like a person. 

"I'd call you _insane_ . You're really gonna risk your life to find out? _Do you even know what you're offering?_ " She asked incredulously, trying to deter him from doing this. She didn't want to hurt him, especially if she was to lose control at the taste of it. She hasn't had human blood in far too long.

But they both knew that she had no other choice. Her options consisted of slowly dying from not getting the right nutrients from animal blood, quickly dying of hunters finding her in the streets, or taking what she could get from Adam. 

"My _life_ ? No.." Adam answered quickly. He was starting to feel the adrenaline. "But I don't want to sit here and watch you watch you lose _yours_. You don't seem like someone that bad to me if you're just going after criminals. I hate to sound like a preacher but some fate must have brought you here for a reason." 

Kari said nothing, looking to the side again as Adam spoke.

"And yeah, maybe it isn't my smartest decision ever, but I don't know any other way to get you blood at four in the morning, and I'm honestly curious as fuck as to how this all works. So tell me, how long has it been since you've.. eaten..? fed..?" he winced, unsure of what to call it and not wanting to offend her. "And how long can one of you usually last?" 

Kari was awestruck that she was having this conversation with a human. She'd only ever had it once before, by the people that took her and her brother in a long time ago.

"Depends on the person. A strong vampire can go up to a month without eating. After that they're bound to enter a frenzy." She was fixated on a certain spot on the floor, a lump swelling in her throat, but she continued on nonetheless.

"I've been rationing an animal diet for twenty two days now. But I ran out just over a week ago. I.. also lied to you about having a place, if you couldn't tell.." She laughed, but it was dry and humourless.

The truth was just spilling out without her consent, one word after another. Kari hated that she was showing such a vulnerable side, she had a badass reputation to uphold and couldn't afford to get emotional. Crying had never solved anything in her life, but it's all she felt like doing right now. Things would be so much better if her brother were still here.

"Yeah, I could tell," Adam replied with a soft smile, crouching back down in front of her and bringing Kari back to the present. She pushed back the stinging feeling behind her eyes and glanced over at him, fighting the tears. 

Adam's voice was low and gentle. He wanted to reach out and be comforting, but he refrained. She didn't seem like someone who would be okay with any unsolicited touching.

"Because I've been there. I mean obviously not exactly where you are, but the streets are unforgiving to us all. I'm sorry you have to go through that..." 

He hesitated, unsure whether or not he should really accept the dangers of inviting a vampire into his home, but that worried voice faded to the back of his mind when he looked down at her. All he could see was a young girl on death's door who desperately needed a hand. He'd made the mistake of being tricked by letting 'sketchy but seemingly cool' people into his space before, but Kari felt different. She needed this.

"If you want," Adam continued, breaking the heavy silence. "I could lend you my couch until you can walk properly again. Also the gauze on your leg needs to be changed daily to avoid infection, and I've got the right supplies." 

The words echoed in her head, comforting to hear. For the first time in years Kari had found a human that she didn't absolutely hate, or one that didn't immediately despise her right back. Emotions started to pile up and the tight feeling in her chest grew even tighter. Before she knew it, hot tears were rolling down her cheeks. She tried to quickly wipe them off her face before Adam could see, but it didn't go unnoticed.

"Thank you," Kari nodded, voice hoarse. "I could use that." As much as she hated accepting the help, she was eternally grateful that Adam was here to provide it. 

"Hey, it's no problem." He sat back, some of the tension easing in his shoulders. "I mean it _will_ be if I catch you stealing my shit or if I find someone else's blood on anything, but I have a feeling you're better than that." 

Adam smiled sweetly at her, even if she wasn't looking. He'd misjudged people before and had it screw him over in the past, but he was really hoping that she wouldn't be like the others. Plus, they could talk about rules later. The hard struggle lifestyle was one he was glad to be out of, but he knew it probably followed Kari everywhere she went with nothing she could do about it. 

Kari's heart wrenched in her chest; she just wanted to tear the damn thing out. Adam's words sounded like something her brother would say. Everything was reminding her of him, and it made her want to cry even harder. But she wouldn't, not until she was alone.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew me," She sniffled, composing herself and trying to calm down. She always hated crying in front of strangers. "But I won't ruin your trust." 

Adam stood back up, his smile lingering. "Good to hear. I'm gonna go get you some water, if you still want some." 

Kari nodded.


	4. Different Than the Movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the vamps in this au are based off of a tumblr post with a bunch of different vampire headcanons. I'll link it in the comments or smth

"Alright. Are you able to stand? If we're going to do anything else blood-related I'd prefer it to be in the bathroom. There's enough to clean up in here already."

The vampire took a few shaky deep breaths, wiping away the last of her tears as Adam walked away. She probably looked like such a sad wreck, no wonder he was taking pity on her. Using the wall for support Kari struggled to get herself off the ground, but she managed. Her leg hurt like hell and she couldn't put much pressure on it at all, yet she tried to walk regardless. 

Unfortunately she had to give up after a single step. It must have been easier to manage earlier while she was in shock, but right now it was unbearable. She abandoned the idea of moving just yet, opting for leaning on the wall again until the wave of pain subsided. The only plus side was that it distracted her from the sickening hunger that clawed at her senses, screaming to be quenched.

Adam wasted no time in getting the water, his mind racing a mile a minute. Letting her stay was slowly starting to sound like a good idea. Maybe not realistically, but he was so eager to learn more about her now. She proved that everything he believed on the topic was wrong, and that intrigued him. He'd made friends in some pretty weird scenarios before, but this was probably topping the list.

In under a minute Adam returned to his room, glad to see that Kari was able to stand. On one leg, at least. He was a little shocked at how short she was, her head barely reaching the shoulders of his 6'2 frame; No wonder she was able to slip through his window with such ease. 

She looked pretty rough but the bandage on her leg seemed to be holding well. No blood was leaking through yet.

He tried not to focus on it, and handed Kari the water.

"Hey, careful not to push it." He advised, noticing her pained expression. He didn't want her to pop a stitch.

If he were anybody else and she was far less tired, Kari would have told  _ him _ to 'push it'. Instead she just nodded, taking the water along with the advice. No one with decent medical knowledge was ever a huge part of ler life except for maybe the high school nurse, and even that was rather questionable.

She downed the small glass of water in just a few gulps, setting the empty cup on the windowsill when she was done.

"Okay so, this whole drinking my blood thing.."

"What, you having second thoughts?" Kari interrupted, attention snapping back over to Adam.

"No, we just need to clarify some things. One, I'm doing this out of my own interest and to help you, and because I don't know where else to get fresh blood at four AM on a Saturday. So two, you're going to have to explain how it works. It won't turn me into one, will it?"

Kari let out a small sigh of relief, happy to hear that Adam wasn't changing his mind. He didn't seem like the type to back out, but she wouldn't blame him if he did. It was probably a freaky situation for him to think about. After all, it took Kari months to get over the reality of how everything worked. Considering that, Adam was taking things rather well.

"Oh hell no, I don't have the power to change anybody, don't worry. I need about… seven more years before that comes. Anyways, it probably won't be as bad as you're thinking. Vampires have a venom that makes the drinking experience feel nice. Not like in a weird way! It just makes your limbs relax so you can't scream or fight." 

Noticing Adam's reaction, Kari quickly followed up. "It's not bad for you, in fact I was told it feels pretty peaceful." 

Adam nodded, processing all the new information. Some of it was difficult to take in, like the venom and not being able to fight back, so he raised his next concern.

"Okay yeah, that sounds different than what I had in mind. But how will you know when to stop if I'm in a weird feeding dream-state? And where are you biting? I'll need to get more medical supplies to control the bleeding when you're done and.." 

His thoughts trailed off, moreso talking to himself than to Kari. There was a lot more to this than he originally thought there would be, but he was too far in to back out now. No wonder she tried to warn against him doing this.

"No it's fine," Kari shook her head. "I  _ promise _ I won't take too much." She really hoped that she had enough self control to pull this off. The vampire had never cared about whether her prey lived or not after she was done with them, but she had to make a conscious effort to keep Adam alive. She owed that much to him, at least.

"And my saliva has clotting properties," She continued, trying to sweeten the bitter deal. "No matter where I bite it'll glaze over and you won't bleed out. So your choice, but I know the arm or neck works best." 

To that, Adam quirked an eyebrow. He hoped that she wasn't just making things up on the go and planning to kill him anyways, because he was believing all of what she said. He really was putting his life in danger just to help her, but admittedly there were a few plus sides. Learning about the existence of vampires and getting first hand proof was pretty cool, along with potentially gaining a powerful friend. There was a whole other world hidden in plain view that he didn't know about, and he was desperate to learn more.

But did he trust Kari to stay within the limits? Uneasiness built up inside of him. He wasn't sure, but he hoped he could.

"Damn, lucky me huh?" he joked lightly, trying not to think too much about it. "Well, let's do this shit."


	5. After Effects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i mean who WOULDNT let some random cute dying vampire chick drink ur blood right? :^)

The walk to the bathroom didn't take too long, considering it was just down the hall. It would have been quicker, but Kari refused any offered help to get there. Adam didn't want to intrude on her space so he let her be as independent as she wanted, standing back and wincing at her pained expressions. He'd been shot at before, but never had to deal with a bullet directly.

It was a tight squeeze for the two of them to fit into the small bathroom together, but they managed. Kari went in first, limping her way over to sit on the edge of the tub, while Adam followed suit and sat on the toilet cover. He proceeded to take off his shirt, as rolling up his sleeve probably wouldn't suffice, and he didn't want to get blood on any of his clothes.

Sitting this close to him, Kari really did feel small. She could also hear his racing heartbeat, and it quickened her pulse. Her instincts wanted to kick into full overdrive, dive into this meal that was being presented in front of her, kill him and walk away stronger like it had nothing to do with her. She could feel these urges rising in her chest, but she had to resist them all no matter how strong they got.

"Hey, you okay?" Adam piped in, noticing Kari's distant gaze and quickened breathing. She seemed lost in thought, and a little uncomfortable. He didn't blame her.

"I'm fine," her automatic lie spilled out, snapping her attention back to reality. "I just… can't fucking believe you're letting me do this. Why? I thought you'd boot me out the door after patching me up, or at least the second you figured it out."

Adam sighed. 

"Alright well picture this," He proposed taking a deep breath, trying to put her in his shoes. "You're a lifelong skeptic of superstitions and the paranormal, but your longtime friend won't shut the fuck up about the nonsense, especially vampires, insisting that they're real and to always watch your back. Suddenly, you're face to face with one who breaks every expectation you've been told about them, and you come to the realization that everything you've been in denial about might actually be real." 

Kari stared, slowly unpacking everything Adam said.

"..Sooo you said you'd do this because you didn't believe in it? And you still want to do it even though now you know it's real?" 

"Yeah, like I said, I'm doing this for us both. I get to survive an unexplainable experience firsthand and get proof to satisfy my curiosity, and you get a little bit of sustenance so you don't die on my fucking couch. Sound fair?"

Kari nodded lightly, letting out a small huff. "Guess I can't really turn this down, huh."

"I mean nobody's making you do this, but if you _do_ do it let sober non venom-induced me just say to not take more than a pint right now, and go _SLOW_ for God's sake, I really can't afford to lose a hand."

Adam's pulse quickened as he spoke, starting to feel a bit of the anxiety from the situation. It would probably take awhile for the normal blood flow to return to his arm, and he had to be careful about how fast she drank. 

His muscles tensed as Kari inched closer, reaching for his left arm positioned for her above the tub. He didn't know how messy things would be. 

"Just relax," she soothed, repositioning herself on the tub wall. She had said it so many times before, but this one felt different. This time she actually meant it, and for the first time in a while felt sympathy for who she was biting. Since it wasn't at the neck she wasn't sure how long the effects would take to kick in, so it would definitely be a bit more painful at the start.

"Sorry," She apologized in advance, closing the space between her face and his forearm. Her breath was a hot whisper against his skin. "This is gonna hurt."

Adam knew it was going to hurt, and he braced himself as Kari's teeth came closer to his skin. Somehow, although he couldn't have missed it earlier, her canines looked longer. They skimmed the surface of his arm, as if waiting to find the best spot to puncture in. He almost didn't want to watch, but he knew he couldn't look away.

His only warning sign was a long breath that Kari let out just before sinking down. A pained grunt escaped his lips, but he tried to contain most of the noise. Involuntarily most of his muscles tensed up again, even though he knew he should be relaxed for this procedure. Kari's cold grip on his arm was strong as iron though, keeping her head in place.

She could feel Adam begin to shift a bit after she bit down, but after the blood came rushing to her mouth it faded to a distant worry. Her breath depended and her eyes widened, entering a blissful state that she had almost forgotten the feeling of. Strength flowed back into her by the second, giving her the necessary energy to be alive, and all of her senses were heightened. She went as slow as she could, to be careful not to hurt Adam or lose herself in the process. There was too much else at stake. 

After thirty seconds she noticed some of the tension start to leave his body, and he stopped grunting as much. Kari looked up to meet his gaze. 

The venom had definitely entered his system, making things a bit harder for Adam to comprehend. He was in a hazy dreamlike state, and after a minute all of the pain seemed to ebb away. He was so tense sitting there a moment ago, but now all he wanted to do was melt back and smile at the world. He could see someone look up, but for the life of him he couldn't turn his head to look back down at them. A moment of panic struck as his brain realized he was paralyzed, but the drug worked its magic to soothe those worries. 

Afraid to take too much and do irreparable damage, Kari pulled back. She didn't know how much a pint was off the top of her head, but she felt much better after taking what she did. Admittedly it might have been a little bit more than he told her to take, but she was just glad to see him still breathing as she pulled away, happy to see that she had restraint even when starving. 

She kept her mouth to the wound, licking it as thoroughly as she could so that it wouldn't leak. Like clockwork the blood clots formed, sealing off the entrances for her fangs. Adam's arm was limp in her hands at this point, but she was kind of glad he wasn't aware enough to see this. Watching someone else clean your blood off their face could be a pretty unsettling sight.

As Kari cleaned up she kept an eye on Adam, who looked passed out but was still awake. His eyes stared up to the ceiling, but he wasn't focused on anything. His mind was gone. A lump formed in Kari's throat; she had never stuck around anyone to personally see the after effects of the venom on somebody, and tried to remember how long she was told it would last. Ten minutes to half an hour she figured. 

Despite her newfound strength she couldn't carry Adam back to his room with her wounded leg, so she had to stay here until he was coherent again. She checked his arm and the puncture wounds, which didn't look too bad. It definitely wasn't a pretty sight, but nothing about it looked extremely bad from a healthy human standpoint. His skin was still flush, and every now and then she could see twitches of muscles in his hand.

"Hey," She waved her hand in front of his eyes "Can you hear me?" 

Adam did nothing in response. There was nothing she could do to break the haze. From behind his eyes everything was a blur, sounds and lights and colours all blending together. Even if he wanted to move, his body wouldn't let him.

Kari sighed, clearly not getting through to him just yet. She knew it wouldn't be much longer until he was present once more, so she decided to let it be. Her eyes drifted to the bathroom door, and the rest of the house beyond it. She wanted to explore, snoop around the place and get to know what she was getting herself into, but doing as little walking as possible was probably best. For now, she just sat back on the edge of the tub and waited.

About ten minutes later, Adam began to come back. His smile had faded and he was able to look around with his eyes, gaining small muscle movements back first. He still couldn't make sense of what he was seeing and his brain felt foggy, but things were slowly clearing back up. 

A cough escaped him as he came back to his senses, trying to focus on the person in front of him. Colours still all blended together.

"Ani..?" Adam groaned weakly.

"No, it's Kari," she corrected, shooting him a confused look. It faded quickly however as she noticed Adam begin to slowly move once more. 

"Are you okay?" The vampire asked with a raised brow. "How do you feel?"

"Weird." was all Adam replied, bringing his right arm up to rub his eyes and temples. When he pulled them away it was like he had cleared the fog in his vision slightly more, and Kari came back into view.

"Well that's better than not dead," she joked lightly, but neither of them laughed. "..How's your arm? can you move your hand?" 

As if he was just remembering why they were in the bathroom in the first place, Adam's vision darted down to his forearm. Two bright red puncture wounds greeted his gaze, and he stared in shock. 'So that's what it's like' he thought to himself. His arm was sore, but he was able to move his fingers slightly, which was good enough for Kari. It probably just needed some more time to heal and regulate blood flow, which both of them could use.

"I--" Adam's sentence was interrupted by a heavy yawn "--am so fucking tired.." His eyes shut without his permission and he slumped back slightly, the exhaustion of the night and blood loss hitting him in full force. "Can we go to bed and deal with this tomorrow?" He asked, even though he knew it was already technically the morning. 

"Gladly." Kari answered promptly, equally as ready to put today behind her. She stood up, looking down at Adam. He looked more hungover now than anything else. The dreamstate had definitely vanished. "Can you walk?" 

"Probably, unless you bit my legs too." Adam laughed to himself, forcing his sluggish body to stand. He wobbled a few times and Kari's arms shot up to break the fall, but he evened out after a few seconds. Everything felt distorted but he just took one small step in front of the other, using the wall for guidance on the way to his room. Kari followed hesitantly behind him, unsure of what he wanted her to do.

Adam paused at his door frame as if just remembering something, and turned around to look at her. 

"If you turn around and take a left, you'll see the couch." He informed, fighting another yawn. "There should be a blanket and pillow out there. I'm going back to sleep, I'll see you in a few hours." 

"Okay," Kari nodded, stopping in the hallway, "thanks." 

Adam continued on into his room but gave her a wave goodbye without turning around. The noise of him flopping back into his bed echoed out into the hall, and Kari let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. 

Using the wall as a crutch she turned around, hanging a left where the hallway split off. She passed another door, resisting the urge to open it and see what's inside. After a few more steps the hallway opened up to a bigger section, with the living room to her left and the kitchen on the right. If every step didn't hurt so bad she'd be investigating the place, but right now her mind was trained on the couch.

It looked supremely comfortable, and Kari was once again happy with herself for picking this window to vault through. Instinctively she went to shut the blinds before bed, glad that they were able to block out all incoming sunlight. Waking up to an itchy skin rash and irritated eyes was never a fair price for forgetting to do so.

The moment Kari's limbs hit the couch they turned to jelly. She barely had the strength to pull down the blanket over her, but she managed. A smile lingered on her lips as she repositioned herself; It was the most comfortable and warm she'd been in a long time, and for once she felt safe. 

Sleep came easy to her that night, at peace knowing she wasn't afraid of the next thing that would wake her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk when the next update will be tbh i havent worked on this in a while but i just wanted to post it :3


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